Withering Chrysanthemums
by Lucicelo
Summary: A piece of Ruka's father returned in the form of a little bundle one early morning, taking away her mother in exchange.


_A/N:_ _Proper credit for the premise of this fic goes to the RP blog sorrowscars._

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The moment Ruka overheard the herbalist, Cho, inform her mother of her condition, she jumped in joy. Her mother and Cho stood in the main room of their home. She almost walked into the room, but stopped herself when she heard her mother's scathing denial. She ran off before getting chastised for eavesdropping on a private conversation. Even if she got reprimanded, she didn't care, her mind focused on the new life coming into their lives.

She loved the little one without question. This child was a lasting and final reminder of her father. She imagined a carbon copy of her father, light hair and brown eyes, her father's gentle spirit. A positive outcome after their months of grief.

Her father's passing brought her mother into a spiral of outbursts and depression. Thinking back, her mother wanted nothing to do with the funeral and the cremation. Outright denying the accident and continuing their old routines. Ruka caught her folding her father's clothing, placing them in the usual area for the morning. When morning came, her mother returned them to their proper place, doing it over again before she went to sleep.

Their neighbor handled the whole process, making sure to give Daichi Tsuzuki a good send off into the after life.

In her excitement, she told her school friends. Every single one congratulated her and the news spread throughout town. A small tight knit town kept no secrets. Nothing stayed in the dark for long. The town knew of her father's accident and saw the baby as a blessing. None spoke a harsh word about her mother having this child.

One person hated the mere idea of this child coming into the world: her mother.

Any indication or acknowledgement of the baby, spurned her into a tirade of anger. She went on her life as if the child didn't exist. No one took the cold words to heart. Their family went through a recent heartbreak and emotions were in disarray. Everyone assured her that once her mother held her child, she would love him more than anything.

She prayed this happened on the day of the birth.

One morning, she woke up to her mother's anguished cries. She ran out of her tiny room, noting the pool of fluid collecting on the floor of the kitchen. Without a moment to waste, she ran to collect Cho. They helped her mother back into her room, making her as comfortable as possible. Cho ushered her out and told her to boil water. She placed a pot on the pit, lighting up the remaining firewood from last night's dinner. The water finished boiling and she transferred it into a large basin they used for bathing.

Once she finished, she went into her room, collected her clothes, and picked up her sewing kit. She hurried to their scratched up low rise table. Tuning out the painful screams, she focused on her task, keeping the needle from pricking her fingers. She improved in her sewing techniques after spending months crafting baby clothes. After finishing her schoolwork, she brought out her sewing kit and went to work. She crafted them a few sizes bigger than a newborn. Through trial and error, she finished a month's worth of clothing.

She lost semblance of time through her activity. Taking breaks to nibble on their preserved foods, she saw Cho going in and out of the room. This went on for what seemed like hours. Until, her mother's cries cut off.

At the sound of the baby's first cry, tears of happiness gathered in the corners of her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to hold her baby brother or sister in her arms. Of course, right after her mother bonded with the baby.

She jumped at the scream her mom let out. Turning her head toward the room, she wondered what prompted her reaction. Another baby perhaps? Her neighbor birthed twins last winter so it was possible.

"Keep that _thing_ away from me!"

"Chiyoko, don't you want to hold your son? Here—"

"I won't _touch_ it!" Chiyoko screeched. "It doesn't deserve a name. _Kill it!_ _I don't want it!_ "

"But—"

"Take it away from me!" Chiyoko pleaded in despair.

The sound of a cup crashing brought Ruka up on her feet, she clutched her yukata in her hands. "Momma..."

Cho came out with a bloodied bundle in her arms. Upon seeing Ruka, she shook her head, tired in voice and face. "Ruka, dear, will you look after your brother? I have to go back and check on your mother. I'm sorry to have to ask this of you, but he needs to be cleaned."

Ruka dropped her yukata on the floor in order to stretch out her arms. Her smile widened at the sight of dark curls peeking from inside of the blanket. "Don't worry, I can clean him off with some rags. I'm not squeamish about blood at all."

"Thank you, Ruka." Cho handed the baby in her arms, noticing Ruka glance at the room, she assured her. "Ruka, some mothers experience this sort of reaction after they give birth. It's rare, but it happens more often than you'd think. She'll slowly get over it and desire to hold her son. Don't you worry."

Unconvinced, Ruka conceded. "Oh...okay."

Cho went back inside of the room as Chiyoko's sobs simmered down into whimpers.

Turning her attention onto the baby, Ruka rocked him in her arms. "Hi, I'm your big sister, Ruka. Oh my goodness you're so small. Miyo's sister wasn't this tiny." She used her shoulder to wipe away her tears. Pressing her lips against the baby's cheek, she went to the basin. "I hope the water isn't too cold for you. I boiled the water when Cho arrived so it should be just right."

Grabbing one of their rags, Ruka crouched in front of the basin. Cradling him with one arm, she removed the blanket, exposing his body. She cared little that her clothing became stained with blood as she maneuvered him in a safe position. He whimpered from the exposure to the air and she hummed a song to calm him down. She dipped the rag into the water, squeezing the excess water on the side of the basin. Wiping away the fluids from his birth, she made careful movements in keeping him steady.

Once she finished, she wrapped him in a new blanket set aside the basin. "There we go, that wasn't so bad. We just have to get you into your new set of clothes I made you." Ruka cooed. She almost squealed as he started opening his eyes. He blinked a few times before she got a good look. Her jaw dropped. "Your eyes...how are they—" Ruka mumbled.

Cho walked right back into the room, going toward Ruka, she informed her. "I'm sorry." Resting her wrinkled hand on Ruka's shoulder, she gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Your mother has passed into the afterlife."

"W—What? She sounded just fine a moment ago!" Ruka lowered her voice at the sound of her brother's cry. "I'm sorry...baby...I didn't mean to yell."

Cho's eyes softened, she commented. "Ruka, he needs a name." She left out the fact that Chiyoko damned the child in her last breath. Her chilling last words resonated deep in her soul.

"Asato." Ruka whispered, testing out the name. "Asato Tsuzuki. It's the name papa wanted for a son." She rubbed Asato's chubby cheek with her thumb, he pursed his lips. "Don't you worry, you have your big sister to protect you. I promised the gods the moment I learned about you..."


End file.
